I spent some time in Odessa, Ukraine. I don’t know if I’d buy products there unless I went through someone I knew personally. I’ve seen shops there that lasted only a few weeks before they either moved or disappeared altogether. Most folks in Ukraine are struggling to buy food though of course there are some who have some wealth but buying from Ukraine isn’t like buying from the UK or Germany. That aside, I do love Ukraine. Anyway, I bought about $350.00 worth of NOS military grade Telefunken’s on eBay for an HH Scott FM Multiplex and they transformed the tone and musicality of my tuner but the seller was here in the states. He even made sure I got a matched pair and swore they were all tested. I can’t remember the name of the tube tester but it was the Rolls Royce of testers. I’m sorry your pre amp was damaged. I would try to have it repaired and then look for a seller here in the US.
Burned Out
I recently got caught up in the tube swapping craze. I have a tubed amp and preamp. I researched things as well as I could for only having access to the internet and forums like this. I also was in contact with the owner of a very well known vintage tube dealer. I bought two tubes from eBay from dealers with a long history on eBay and high customer review rating. Both tubes from eBay were for my preamp, one was a Brimar and the other Melz 1578 6sn7 tubes manufactured in the 50’s or 60’s. The Brimar only played through one channel and at first dealer tried dispute the fact that it malfunctioned and then contacted me saying he was now having the same issue. The Melz red plated on me and was very microphonic. The dealer is in the Ukraine so I’m waiting to see if I will get my refund. And, last but not least one of the most reputable dealers recommended a tube RCA and has stated he stands behind his product. But, what happens when his product causes damage to your preamp? My preamp now plays only through one channel. When I called up the dealer about the noise the tube was making, I was told follow the instructions regarding microphonics and that there was no way the tube would damage my equipment. There was a recommended break in period of around 48 hrs. Well long story short, my preamp is not functioning and has to be sent back to manufacturer and as of on out $115 for the tube. So my question is are NOS tubes worth all the risk? Are the newer tubes that bad that I have to sacrifice the working condition of my gear for a possible sound improvement? I would like to know your thoughts. Are tubes the Shuguang Black treasure, Northern Electric, a safer risk. I’m venting right now, but looking for answers
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The Raven PR dept does not know the difference between an Opamp and a FET. Use caution when selecting a guru. I only gush about gear I have actually heard...at length or own.... Andy at Vintage tube has serious test gear. You really should name the dealer in USA as you have slighted all 3 named by others. Finally, RAM tubes are fantastically graded.Roger Modjeski ( RIP ) knew his way around tubes. He also hand wound his output transformers....... |
Andy Bowman is serious about selling quality tubes and customer satisfaction. Every tube I've bought from Andy has been cream of the crop. http://vintagetubeservices.com/laboratory/ The downside is the wait time for an order is now a few weeks. |
Well, my preamp designer has always been very helpful, he repaired my preamp for free. He makes his equip himself, so as long as the parts were moderately priced he had no problem doing it for free, three hundred for shipping is what I came out of pocket. I replaced all my NOS tubes(6sn7) with some Black Treasures and they sound great and very quiet(so far). No more experimenting w NOS tubes for me. There’s no guarantee’s with anything we do, but after 3 times at bat and 3 strike outs I’m done. |
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